The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is offering free steering wheel locks to Kia and Hyundai vehicle owners to help curb thefts that have skyrocketed in the past year due to a TikTok trend.
On Friday, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., OCSO will distribute free steering wheel locks at the organization’s headquarters (2500 W Colonial Drive).
The sheriff’s office says it has partnered with Kia and Hyundai to provide the locks. The mechanisms are only available to those with Hyundai and Kia vehicles that were made between 2005 and 2021 and that have key ignitions.
To pick up a free lock, vehicle owners are asked to bring their vehicle or registration to the north side of the building, which faces Colonial Drive. The sheriff’s office says it will have flagpoles set up.
All are welcome and no RSVP is necessary to participate.
In recent months, law enforcement agencies across Volusia, Seminole, Orange, and Osceola counties have reported increases in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
The agencies have largely attributed this increase to a TikTok trend that shows users how to easily break-in and hot wire the vehicles.
Last month, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies made multiple arrests of individuals accused of stealing various Kia models.